Canopy structure



1956 E. c. WALLACE E'TAL 2,764,993

CANOPY STRUCTURE Filed June 13, 1955 Fl G. 1 i 14 FIG.4 )7

O 12 FIG.2 Q

INVENTORS EARL QWALLACE JAMES ME'EKIN WM 0. film ATTY.

CANOPY STRUCTURE Earl C. Wallace, Andrews, and James Meekin, Huntington, Ind., assignors to The Hettrick Manufacturing Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 515,046

2 Claims. (Cl. 135-5) This invention relates to awnings of the umbrella type and an object is to produce a new and improved assembly including the canvas awning and the supporting post and rod, which can be collapsed for shipment or storage so as to occupy a minimum space and has the unique features of construction and arrangement, enabling the same to be readily and conveniently assembled to position of use without requiring separate fastening devices and is of such nature that an unskilled person can effect the assembly or disassembly without difiiculty.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a top perspective view of a canvas umbrella showing a portion of its supporting post or rod;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the concave-convex disc to which the L-shaped supporting rod is secured and to which are attached the radiating rods for supporting the canvas umbrella;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the underside of the umbrella showing a spring metal socket member for receiving the outer end of a radiating umbrella supporting rod; and

Figure 6 is a front end perspective view of one of the socket clamps, showing the teeth which engage the awning fabric and the closed front end of the rod-receiving socket.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a vertically disposed metallic supporting post or rod 10 which may be of any suitable or desired length and has integrally connected thereto at its upper end an upwardly and laterally inclined rod portion 11. The upper end of the upwardly inclined supporting rod portion 11 is welded to the underside of a concavo-convex metallic disc 12 on top of which rests the apical portion of the umbrella awning as will hereinafter appear.

The concavo-convex disc is positioned so that its convex portion faces downwardly and formed centrally of the disc is a hole 13 thereby in efiect forming a flattened upper frustum-like top for the disc. Formed in the disc near the outer peripheral edge are integral loops 14, in this instance there being four which are equidistantly spaced. The loops are formed by providing a pair of parallel slits in the metal and pressing the metal d0wnwardly to provide a structure which is best shown in Figure 4.

States Patent 0 For supporting the umbrella awning and holding it in 2,764,993 Patented Oct. 2, 1956 'ice which are flattened for a portion of the length so that these ends may he slid through the loops 14 to retain the inner ends of the rods in the desired position.

Resting on the rods 15 is the umbrella type canvas awning 17 which in this instance is formed of four triangular sections sewed together with the seam disposed on the underside. These sections are sewed together by sewed seams 20 as indicated on Figure 5 which provide depending flanges of the material on the outer side of the seam. Clipped to the flanges are spring metal clamps 18 which have elongate curved portions providing sockets to receive the outer ends of the rods 15 respectively, it being necessary somewhat to stretch the canvas so that the socket members 18 can be slipped over the outer ends of the rods. As shown, the clamps 18 have generally parallel side portions 19 which firmly and resiliently clamp the canvas material therebetween so as securely to retain the clamp in position of use.

From the above description, it will be manifest that we have produced an exceedingly simple and practical umbrella assembly which can be readily and conveniently assembled and disassembled. In assembled condition the umbrella is securely held in taut position. Disassembly can be quickly efiected by slipping the spring metal socket members off of the rods 15 and thereafter the rods 15 may be slipped clear of the disc 12. For shipment or storage the rods and canvas awning can be rolled together, there by to occupy a minimum amount of space.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and choice of materials may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An umbrella type awning assembly comprising a vertically disposed supporting post having a laterally and upwardly inclined end portion, a concave-convex disc fixed to the free end of said post end portion, downwardly extending loops struck from the disc and arranged in equidistantly spaced relation, awning supporting rods having flattened inner end portions slipped into said loops respectively, a canvas umbrella type awning formed of at least four sections united by sewn seams, and spring metal socket members secured to the underside of the awning in the region of the sewed seams respectively and adjacent the outer edges of the awning, the outer ends of I said rods being slipped into said socket members respectively.

2. An umbrella type awning assembly comprising a vertically disposed supporting post, a plate on the upper end of said post, downwardly extending loops on said plate and arranged in equidistantly spaced relation, awning supporting rods having inner ends slipped into said loops respectively for detachable engagement, a canvas umbrella type awning on said rods, said awning being formed of a plurality of sections united by seams having downwardly extending flanges, and socket members secured to the underside of said awning adjacent the outer edges and arranged to detachably receive the outer ends of said rods respectively, said socket members comprising substantially U-shaped spring metal clamps each having leg portions engaging over the flanges of said seams and a bight portion in which the outer end of one of said rods engages.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Treeman Mar. 28, 1876 Markham Dec. 22, 1885 

